high flying

(NastyGal Navy Wool Madrid Hat, thrifted sweater and dress, Elizabeth and James shoes from DSW, random socks, gifted bracelets)

I went downtown last night with my parents and a family friend to see the Joffrey Ballet Company, who were absolutely astounding. The Rite of Spring was so ahead of its time. And the costumes, they made me want to be a costume designer. I enjoyed how completely unorthodox they were for any ballet, especially one created and performed a hundred years ago. Without the tutus and sparkles, it barely occurred to me that it was still a ballet. One of the most fascinating aspects of the piece to me was the change the dancers must have gone through to change their comfort zone so vastly. These performers are the best of classically trained ballerinas and ballerinos, and yet in the Rite of Spring, they had to turn their toes in and hunch their shoulders and flatten their feet. Having trained in ballet for four years, I appreciate their technical ability more than those who've never danced before. I therefore also appreciate the pain they must have tolerated in doing the complete opposite of everything they were trained to do. Yet they were still amazing at it.

My parents have been taking me to ballets since I was a little girl (think Nutcracker), so whenever I go nowadays, it just reminds me of that time. In picking my outfit for the night, I decided to go with a combination of all the people who go to the theater. The flat forms and hat are purely me, but the vintage sweater is a mix of both old and young. Paired with a long dress and the other more modern pieces, I tried to make seen fancier than it actually is. We're all reminded of my sweater obsession with this as well. I think making outfits of pieces suited for different age groups is challenging. But the challenge is the best part. Making a sweater look young that would normally be worn by a grandmother is difficult, but no more difficult than making the same sweater look more current and less 3-year-old. It's a balance. 

Photos by Paul Chavez